Method of manufacturing developer container, developer container, developing apparatus, process cartridge, and image forming apparatus

Abstract

A method of manufacturing a developer container including a frame configured to define a developer containing portion, a first electrode, and a second electrode arranged on a surface of the frame and having a surface opposed to the first electrode, a developer amount in the developer containing portion being detected based on a capacitance between the first electrode and the second electrode, the method including: holding a conductive resin member constituting the second electrode on a mold configured to mold the frame, a surface of the conductive resin member being in contact with a surface of the mold configured to mold a surface of the frame on a side of the developer containing portion; injecting a resin to be formed into the frame, into the mold on which the conductive resin member is held; and curing the resin to form the frame to which the second electrode is fixed.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A method of manufacturing a developer container, including a frame configured to define a developer containing portion, of a developing device having an electrode which is used for outputting an output reflecting capacitance according to a developer amount stored in the developer containing portion and is arranged on an inner surface of the frame of the developer containing portion, the method comprising:
 holding a conductive resin sheet, serving as the electrode, to position the conductive resin sheet on a mold configured to mold the frame, the holding including:
 bringing a surface of the conductive resin sheet into contact with a surface of the mold, the mold forming a surface of the frame on a side of the containing portion for a developer; and 
 holding a first area of the conductive resin sheet at a holding area of the mold by a holding unit; 
 
 injecting a resin to be formed into the frame, from a gate provided in the mold on which the conductive resin sheet is held; 
 curing the resin to form the frame to which the conductive resin sheet is fixed, 
 wherein the conductive resin sheet has one end and an other end with respect to a lateral direction of the conductive resin sheet, the lateral direction intersecting a longitudinal direction of the conductive resin sheet, and 
 wherein the other end is positioned farther away from the first area than the one end, and the other end is positioned downstream of the one end in a direction in which the resin injected from the gate is spread out. 
 
     
     
       2. The method according to  claim 1 , wherein an injection direction of the resin in the gate is a thickness direction of the frame. 
     
     
       3. The method according to  claim 1 , wherein a thickness of the conductive resin sheet is 0.05 mm to 0.3 mm. 
     
     
       4. The method according to  claim 1 , wherein a part of the conductive resin sheet extending from the first area to the other end excluding the first area corresponds to a second area, and the conductive resin sheet in the second area is not held by the holding unit through the holding area. 
     
     
       5. A method of manufacturing a developer container, including a frame configured to define a developer containing portion, of a developing device having an electrode which is used for outputting an output reflecting capacitance according to a developer amount stored in the developer containing portion and is arranged on an inner surface of the frame of the developer containing portion, the method comprising:
 holding a conductive resin sheet, serving as the electrode, to position the conductive resin sheet on a mold configured to mold the frame, the holding including:
 bringing a surface of the conductive resin sheet into contact with a surface of the mold, the mold forming a surface of the frame on a side of the containing portion for a developer; and 
 holding the conductive resin sheet at a holding area of the mold by a holding unit; 
 
 injecting a resin to be formed into the frame, from a gate provided in the mold on which the conductive resin sheet is held; 
 curing the resin to form the frame to which the conductive resin sheet is fixed, 
 wherein the holding unit holds an area on one end side of the conductive resin sheet in a lateral direction of the conductive resin sheet at the holding area, the lateral direction intersecting a longitudinal direction of the conductive resin sheet, and 
 wherein an other end side opposed to the one end side in the lateral direction is not held at the holding area and is farther away from the gate than the one end side in the lateral direction. 
 
     
     
       6. The method according to  claim 5 , wherein an injection direction of the resin in the gate is a thickness direction of the frame. 
     
     
       7. The method according to  claim 5 , wherein a thickness of the conductive resin sheet is 0.05 mm to 0.3 mm. 
     
     
       8. The method according to  claim 5 , wherein a part of the conductive resin sheet extending from a first area to the other end side excluding the first area of the conductive resin sheet held at the holding area corresponds to a second area, and the conductive resin sheet in the second area is not held by the holding unit through the holding area. 
     
     
       9. A method of manufacturing a developer container, including a frame configured to define a developer containing portion, of a developing device having an electrode which is used for outputting an output reflecting capacitance according to a developer amount stored in the developer containing portion and is arranged on an inner surface of the frame of the developer containing portion, the method comprising:
 holding a conductive resin sheet, serving as the electrode, to position the conductive resin sheet on a mold configured to mold the frame, the holding including:
 bringing a surface of the conductive resin sheet into contact with a surface of the mold, the mold forming a surface of the frame on a side of the containing portion for a developer; and 
 holding a first area of the conductive resin sheet at a holding area of the mold by a holding unit; 
 
 injecting a resin to be formed into the frame, from a gate provided in the mold on which the conductive resin sheet is held; 
 curing the resin to form the frame to which the conductive resin sheet is fixed, 
 wherein the conductive resin sheet has one end and an other end with respect to a lateral direction of the conductive resin sheet, the lateral direction intersecting a longitudinal direction of the conductive resin sheet, and 
 wherein the other end is positioned farther away from the first area than the one end, and the other end is positioned farther away from the gate than the first area. 
 
     
     
       10. The method according to  claim 9 , wherein an injection direction of the resin in the gate is a thickness direction of the frame. 
     
     
       11. The method according to  claim 9 , wherein a thickness of the conductive resin sheet is 0.05 mm to 0.3 mm. 
     
     
       12. The method according to  claim 9 , wherein a part of the conductive resin sheet extending from the first area to the other end excluding the first area corresponds to a second area, and the conductive resin sheet in the second area is not held by the holding unit through the holding area. 
     
     
       13. The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the conductive resin sheet has a surface on a side of the frame, the surface being constituted by a material which has compatibility with or adhesiveness to the resin to be formed into the frame. 
     
     
       14. The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the holding includes holding the conductive resin sheet by air suction through a hole provided in the mold. 
     
     
       15. The method according to  claim 1 , wherein a surface of the mold on which the conductive resin sheet is held comprises a curved surface. 
     
     
       16. The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the injecting includes injecting the resin in a direction intersecting the longitudinal direction of the conductive resin sheet. 
     
     
       17. The method according to  claim 5 , wherein the conductive resin sheet has a surface on a side of the frame, the surface being constituted by a material which has compatibility with or adhesiveness to the resin to be formed into the frame. 
     
     
       18. The method according to  claim 5 , wherein the holding includes holding the conductive resin sheet by air suction through a hole provided in the mold. 
     
     
       19. The method according to  claim 5 , wherein a surface of the mold on which the conductive resin sheet is held comprises a curved surface. 
     
     
       20. The method according to  claim 5 , wherein the injecting includes injecting the resin in a direction intersecting the longitudinal direction of the conductive resin sheet. 
     
     
       21. The method according to  claim 9 , wherein the conductive resin sheet has a surface on a side of the frame, the surface being constituted by a material which has compatibility with or adhesiveness to the resin to be formed into the frame. 
     
     
       22. The method according to  claim 9 , wherein the holding includes holding the conductive resin sheet by air suction through a hole provided in the mold. 
     
     
       23. The method according to  claim 9 , wherein a surface of the mold on which the conductive resin sheet is held comprises a curved surface. 
     
     
       24. The method according to  claim 9 , wherein the injecting includes injecting the resin in a direction intersecting the longitudinal direction of the conductive resin sheet.